


Molten Metal

by SilentParalysis



Category: Don't Starve (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Death, Enemies to Lovers, F/M, Heavy Angst, Slow Burn, Torture, Wilderness Survival
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-21
Updated: 2019-05-21
Packaged: 2020-03-09 01:56:27
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,646
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18907156
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilentParalysis/pseuds/SilentParalysis
Summary: What happens when a violent pyromaniac gets caught stealing from a unsympathetic machine.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> My very first fic, criticisms is welcome. May have some dark themes later down the line but I do intend for this to be 18+. Dunno how far I'll take this yet. Also this isn't full on non-con but its pretty hard to immersively write a skittish pyromaniac and a psychopathic robot have some consent filled sex scenes. Thus the tags, couldn't find dubious. I don't wanna go full game of thrones on this fic.

Maybe she wouldnt have stole from WX-78 if he could learn to share, rather then hog all the gems and gears he found. It was his fault, they had no use sitting in here just being so pretty and useless. She was dying to make a fire staff, and no one but Willow could handle its power. She was the only one who could handle flames, who wouldnt flinch if a contained fire got too roudy for the others. 

She had peered cautiously into his low and wide tent, seeing the copper colored robot peacefully 'asleep' however the fuck a robot did that she didn't know. She squinted at him, not quite sure if he was aware of her presence or not. His tent was a good distance away from the others, they were all spaced out decently. So if he woke up from what she was about to do no one might hear him scream at her. 

She clapped her hands right next to the side of his head, just once. The sound sure to startle a lighter sleeper awake, yet all he did was shift a bit atop his fur layers. She thought it was weird he slept on top of all those fur blankets rather then in them, she snorted. The weirdo had a lot of stuff he didn't use or use properly, he might not miss a few ruby colored gems. 

She quickly stepped over him, ducking just in time to not hit her head on the solid wooden post keeping the tent held up. Getting back out would be a bit more of a challenge, but she'd burn that bridge when she got to it. For now she focused on the tiny treasures the robot had stashed away on this side of the tent. Gears gleamed from inside a backpack and a wooden box held an assortment of gems, jackpot. Now the precarious art of stealing and slinking away, already gathering her skirt up to use as a net, hiking it up her legs.

She had piled the red gems into her skirt, one hand clutching a bundle of skirt to keep it held up. This also meant she had one less hand to keep her balance. She sent a worried glance to the slumbering robot on her right, the only noise in the tent was his softly chugging engine. She had what she wanted, it was time to leave. The tent too low to stand in, she opted to swing one leg over the warm exposed chassis of the robot. She was careful to avoid touching him but could feel the soft vibration travel through her legs. She parted the tent flap with her free hand and was about to slide her second leg over the robot when all of a sudden a hand shot out. She muffled her shriek with a quick bite of the tongue, a warm mechanical hand firmly gripped her thigh. The robots eyes were open now, the hollow optics staring at her. A few clicks eminated from inside his head and a thin 'third eyelid' swiped across his glass eyes. 

He then sat up as his iron grip forced her down, his lack of anatomy making the situation only serious business on his end.

"THIEF." Was all he said, eyes narrowing at her as she was forced to sit on his very warm, and still vibrating body. He made an excellent heater, too bad she was caught red handed stealing his things. Swallowing thickly as her most sensitive region was forced down on his featureless groin, vibrations trembling through her as his body chugged out the heat it needed to survive winter. She was in trouble and needed to escape, fast. She was in trouble, especially if the others woke to find her straddling a robot with her skirt raised while stealing.

"I-I can explain! I just wanted to make something, why couldn't you just share?" While neither were yelling she was debating going to that extreme to draw the others attention. A part of her wondered if the others would get mad at her though. Theft wasn't tolerated, they had punished Maxwell via exile for stealing wickerbottoms books. Would they exile her too? He had been stealing things essential for survival, these we're just some dumb rocks. "Please just let me go, you can have your stupid rocks back." She dumped the gems onto his chassis, trying to tug away from the hand now bruising her thigh.

The automation refused to relent, swiping the ruby gems to the side. It observed the stolen goods before swiveling its head at her like a metal owl, no doubt furious. 

"YOU DEMAND FREEDOM AFTER ATTEMPTING TO STEAL FROM ME? THE OTHERS MAY DISREGARD THIS BUT I AM THE EXCEPTION, YOU DESERVE PUNISHMENT." His tone was cold and even, the robotic voice making it hard to display emotion. His voice was at a lower volume then normal, as if he didnt want anyone to hear. 

Panic struck through her, she knew the robot could be cruel. The evidence in how after hunts, some of the animals would be curiously missing things like eyes or limbs. She could see his free hand moving under a blanket to retrive something suspiciously knife shaped. She planted her hand down over his, engaging in a weird game of twister now.

"Hold on, please! Look it doesnt need to come to that." She reasoned, her body near flush to his and her face only a foot away. The position made her squirm and the heat between her legs increased. She could feel a wetness drenching her undergarments at this point. Something the robot under her seemed to imediately pick up on, like a wolf smelling the weakness off a rabbit.

"YOU ARE INJURED." His voice even and low, like he was trying to whisper. His hand that was on her thigh moved to her skirt lifting it back up, it had fluttered down when she released the rocks. The other hand of his snatched her wrist so she couldn't dart away. She inhaled sharply when a metal thumb connected with her clit through the fabric of her panties, the heat in it causing her to shudder. 

"THAT HURT DIDN'T IT? I THINK I KNOW BEST HOW TO PUNISH YOU." He said, face to face with her as his eyes eerily blinked, he didn't do that often. She quickly put together that he had mistaken her most intimate parts for an open wound, her face heating up at the insult. 

"That's not a wound asshole! Get your stinking paws off me. Y-you might be warm but you're still an asshole!" She wasn't going to lie and say the vibrating and heat wasn't nice, but he only trapped her like this to punish her. He was cruel and it showed in most things he did. 

He continued to thumb her clit, strange in how gentle the minstrations were. Like he was trying to figure out a complex puzzle. His eyes locked onto hers and he tilted his head leaning forward. Her legs spasmed against his solid frame, a soft gasp escaping her. Her snatched wrist forgotten.

"DOES THIS NOT HURT? I GREATLY ENJOY THE SQUIRMING COMING FROM YOUR END. IT IS REMINISCENT OF TORTURE." Still speaking in that low monotone volume he asked, his fingers drenched slowly in liquid. He flinched as a spark snapped off his wrist. Willow flinched at this as well, feeling a quick jolt across her skin.

"Well that hurt! And well.." She could feel her face blush harshly. She was better then this damnit, letting this robot molest her even if she had been trying to steal from him. "It feels good, okay? So all of this is pointless, your 'punishment' isn't even a very good one." She then caught the innuendo from that phrase, embaressment rearing its head at her. Her little confession did have the robot snatching his hand from the warm cubby of her legs however. She knew organic things grossed him out, unless he was mutilating it. Hypocrite. But rather than fully let her go he opted to settle a hand on each thigh, not quite bruising them this time round but trapping her to him.

"ARE YOU SAYING I'VE BROUGHT YOU PLEASURE?" He tilted his head at this, examining her flushed face and the sweat beading down the sides of her face. Usually this would revolt him, but he had a special love for torture. He loved to make living organics twist, tremble, and beg, he thought only pain caused this reaction. Despite his hate for organic matter he couldn't help but find their helplessness entertaining, and this squirming girl atop him left a darkness curl through him that satisfied that need for entertainment. 

Then he began to feel flattered, organics showed attraction to those who held genetics superior to others in their group. That attraction was what made them pleasure each other wasnt it? He wouldn't know, he wasn't a lowly beast caught in ritualistic mating cycles. Still it felt empowering to know that out of all the males this girl could have crawled on, he had been chosen. Maybe the theft was a ruse? He wasn't organic but he knew he was superior in strength and stamina to the other survivors, weren't those attractive qualities?

"IT FLATTERS ME TO KNOW YOU FIND ME ATTRACTIVE ENOUGH TO PROJECT YOUR WEIRD FLESHY PLEASURE ONTO, BUT I MUST DECLINE. YOU'VE INTURUPTED MY SLEEP AND AM IRRITATED. YOU HAVE ALSO TRIED TO STEAL FROM ME. CONSIDER THIS PUNISHMENT." His voice may have been flat but his eyes shifted to an amused expression, practically laughing before tossing the girl outside his tent. Willow landed with an undignified thump outside, curled over on the hard dirt ground. 

Whatever had just happened she didn't dwell on, quickly sitting up and looking around the barren campsite, the stone walls the only observer. With that an embaressed willow darted back to her own solitary tent.


	2. Chapter 2

She had spent the next few days trying to quell her anxieties with a bundle of meaningless tasks. Go collect some grass for Wilson, he had wanted to make lanterns or something. Maybe collect some wood or rocks, nothing she really could do for long. The bitter winters air always forced her back, the slithering and snapping shadows edging into her vision if she dared stay cold for long. She felt like a fox being herded by dogs, they were never the danger though, it was the owner who shot it dead. 

Everyone did all they could to keep warm, a large fire pit they never trusted her with, and anything soft and maluable made into clothes. Even producing small stones to lay by the fire before plopping them into tents to act as makeshift heaters. Willow would always snuggle hers inside a spare silk pillow, jolting up when she thought it was just slightly vibrating. 

She would calm her nerves after that, patting the pillow and trying to rub the soft red heat from her cheeks. She felt embarressed yes, but she hated how betrayed she felt by her own head. Her mind playing tricks on her by making the soft round pillow shudder with heat and how the white webs resembled a soft gold as the stone shone softly through the fabric. She caught herself missing the intense heat she had sat on only once, before slamming the metaphorical lid down so hard on that can of worms its inhabitants died.

She did NOT miss that damn robot, she missed a warm body was all. It wasn't her fault this place was filled with the most cobbled together people you could find. She didnt think anyone here could handle a relationship due to selfisness or just being pure crazy, and the only genuinely sweet person here was a poor young boy sharing his brain with a spider. So she chalked up all her ruffled feathers to loneliness, and nothing more.

She would feel nothing for that robot.

She was angry at that robot.

She was more angry at Wilson though, who had argued the two both need to go together to the swamp to collect reeds. Glaring daggers at what this murder of misfits could produce as a leader, a crazed scientist who valued experimentation and science over the lives of others. They couldn't have picked better. Had to go with the one who collected his own beard hair for Christ's sake.

His arguing for the two being he 'trusted' her over the others, let her in on a little secret that the old hag could dabble in black magic. They needed paper to write inscriptions and such that could summon an assortment of things, one of which could replenish food. As if she would believe that.

The reason he picked WX-78 was because he was a skilled combatant, an efficent one at that. 

Couldn't she bring wigfrid but was shot down with a quick "she's constantly hunting to keep us alive. We can't afford to loose her."

When she suggested Wolfgang all Wilson had to do was frown and stare out to the firepit where a hungry gnarled man curled up by. Damn Wilson, and Damn the stupid robot that hovered wordlessly nearby, no doubt staring with glee at the two arguing.

Thats how she came to be escorted out of camp by her 'shinning knight in metal armor'. She hoped he froze on the way there, but his heavy chassis chugged insistantly beneath a thick fur vest. On his hip lay a dagger suspiciously familiar, only uncovered by blankets showed it gleamed a soft blue hue, like a shard of the moon fell off and landed as the perfect shape for a small blade. Slung over his back with a makeshift sling was a rudimentary spear, she only had a flint dagger in one hand, on her back a woven backpack and a thermal stone in it.

The walk through the icy woods was painstakingly long, neither speaking at all as she locked her eyes ahead. The nonstop blackened claws of the surrounding trees shook ever so slowly, as if waiting for her to look away to sink into her. Small blue and black birds flitting quickly away from the pair causing an unnerving silence, broken only with the soft crunching of snow. 

A hand on her shoulder snapped her from her daze, and she aimed her tiny dagger at the offender. A golden hand caught her wrist before she could even think of stabbing him, a smile in his eyes as stared at her. What was he doing? They were in the middle of nowhere, was he going to kill her was he going to-

"REST ADVISED, THERMAL STONES RETAIN NO MORE HEAT. OUR DESTINATION IS NOW TO THE RIGHT OF US." Was all WX said, voice as lifeless as the landscape. Of course he wouldn't hurt her, he needed to protect her and if he came back alone they would know he was the culprit. She narrowed her eyes at him. 

"Fine. Whatever. We can stop here, don't touch me next time." She tried to leave it at that, but the hand on her wrist pulled her in, along with the soft touch of the dagger against his unharmed fur coat.

"FUNNY. YOU DID NOT MIND MY TOUCH A FEW NIGHTS AGO." He let out a hollow mechanical laugh after that, the taller survivor gazing down at her. She gasped when his other hand slid up her captured arm, caressing it and rolling up the sleeve along its path. 

"Let me go! This isn't funny!" She shrieked, no fear of anyone overhearing this time. What a strange fear to have.

"IT IS. BUT I WILL DO AS YOU REQUEST. NOT LIKE YOU'RE THE ONE WITH A WEAPON BRANDISHED." after pointing this out WX let her go, letting out another eerie laugh from deep in his throat. She had the opportunity to cut him, yet hadn't. This was the reason wilson sent wx along with her, because she couldn't, or just wouldn't fend him or anyone else off. She tried to reason it as her brain trying to avoid a fight, especially with someone skilled in that area. 

"Next time I will cut you." She promised, a promise so empty it could've been the night sky.

"YOU WILL WARM UP TO ME, OR FREEZE AND COME TO ME FOR WARMTH." Why that, how dare he mock her like that. Even worse was he had the firewood and tinder to start a fire, his pack heavy with essential things while hers was empty. It needed to be full when she got back. 

Willow wanted to scream at the insufferable machine, but settled for sitting on her empty grass woven sack and rubbing her arm. She could feel the ghost of his fingers still on her arm, this time his grip and touch didn't bruise her. Staring at the cold ground while her face warmed, maybe the cold would steal it and her embarrassment away. Glancing up revealed that lanky automation just staring at her, suddenly seeming wolfish in posture. A glint of sadistic amusement lingered in its eyes before it turned it's head down and swiveled it around as he got the fire up and going. Curse who ever made him and had his eyes locked in place, always twitching and turning his head like a predatory bird.

She tossed her now freezing cold stone into the fire, giggling as it showered the robot in hot embers. Feeling bold she went right over and plopped halfway into the fire, resting on the burning coals. "Wow, guess I am warm. Thanks big guy." She hadn't meant to say that last part, but her sassy behavior was clearly noted by a now agitated WX. He moved back a few steps, crouching and setting his stone down in front of him.

"A SHAME YOUR CLOTHES ARE AS FLAME RESISTANT AS YOU." Of course he always had a snarky reply for everything, snark was the only language he spoke. Angry she crossed her arms and turned away, the fire was all the comfort she needed and better yet, they repelled the nibbling shadows.

An hour of silence passed and she was left alone with the crackle and pop of the fire, her anger flaring and fading with the rampant tongues of the fire. She gazed out at the trees again, angry that the others misused her abilities. She could set fire to it and walk amongst her kingdom of ash like a fire queen. Let her lure the awful challanges the ruler of this land throw at them and send them back as smoldering crisps. 'Too destructive' they always said. 

The sound of frabric rustling broke her thoughts and she turned to see that cursed robot digging through his pack. Unfurling a small leather wrap to reveal thick strips of jerky, she wanted to slap a hole into her forehead. She had nothing but a pack and a flint dagger, he had everything else they needed to survive. The swamp was close, but not close enough to make the trip in a day, the darkening sky evident of that. 

"WILL I HAVE TO FISH YOU OUT OF THERE? I TRUST YOU HAVE SELF PRESERVATION AND REALIZE YOU HAVE NOT EATEN SENSE WE LEFT. DO NOT FORCE ME TO FEED YOU." There he went breaking the silence with his flat voice, turning the wrapped food to face her but not holding it out. She huffed before devising her evil plan.

Getting up she dusted off her skirt, a flurry of ashes rising from the motion. Like tiny grey Phoenix's with their tiny ember hearts that rose into the night. She made her way to WX and stood almost touching him, she revealed in the way he shied away. But it wasn't enough, her fire kissed body was scorching and she was thirsty for revenge. 

She sat down. Right onto his lap.

The mechanical hiss he let out was worth it, his long legs having more than enough room for her tush and space for the jerky, leaving it uncrushed. She reached out for one, happily biting into it as her frustrations were taken out on the robot beneath her, using him as a seat and a plate. 

"OW. HUMAN. STOP. ABORT. SYSTEMS OVERHEATING." His volume picked up, enough to tell he was slightly panicking through his tone deaf voice. She may as well have thrown a burning log on him, he went weak from the sudden overheating. He contemplated pushing her off but that would mean scorching his hands in the process. 

Willow just calmly ate in silence, reveling in the squirming, shouting robot. She even giggled when he tried to use an extra leather flap as a makeshift oven mitt to push her off. She mearly wiggled back into a comfortable spot on his metal left thigh. Sadly, just like a thermal stone in the cold she quickly cooled down. 

An arm locked around her waist with a sudden motion, she squeaked and grabbed at the rubber forearm, fingers twisted around the tightly corded wires. "Hey now, I was just being funny. What happened with you wanting to be entertained huh? Mr funny man over here can't take a joke?" She retorted, now slowly realizing she lost her advantage and just like night one she was back at square one. 

Square one being on top of a robot who was physically stronger than her and was holding her down. He seemed to comment on this as well. "YOU ARE VERY FOOLISH. CLIMBING ON ME AND BURNING ME, I DO FIND IT ENTERTAINING HOWEVER. THAT YOU HAVE TAKEN A LIKING TO CLIMBING ON ME. I'M CURIOUS NOW." Those eyes of his did his strange third eyelid blink as he faced her, head tilting from the action. His voice had lowered from his shouting back down to a monotone rumble that resembled muttering. Low enough to hear but the surrounding darkness swallowed the leftover sound. "YOU CANNOT KEEP YOUR HANDS TO YOURSELF SO WHY SHOULD I? DOES THIS STEM FROM SOME BIZARRE ATTRACTION TO ME?"

She wanted to wipe that smug look on his face off, shoving a hand into his face she forced him to look away. To her utter horror his head kept going, and just like a God forsaken owl it did a full 360. She could see the chords on his neck strain and tighten as they looped once from the action. She didn't even try to hide the shrill shriek she let out, nothing more attractive than looking like you could snap your own neck.

"Oh my god did you just break your neck! Okay nope, this is weird you're weird. Let me go! That was not attractive your just crazy like everyone else!" She shrieked out in a breathless manor. With a laugh his head spun back into its normal position, the action bringing forth no comfort. She was squirming to get away now, she could handle him acting like an ass but not when he did stuff that was pure inhuman. 

He released her finally, only she had no tent to retreat to, just a small dimly lite clearing with a sadistic and inhuman robot. He grinned at her, bedore unclipping two bedrolls from his own pack. Tossing one at her before unrolling his own, he just layed on top of it, like a weird asshole. Thats all he was wasn't he, a weird, snarky asshole that did creepy inhuman shit.

She lay as close to the fire as she could without burning her roll and faced away from him, hoping to just get this night over with.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love the idea of WX-78 not knowing how to act like a person. Also I made it to where his eyeballs can't move around like ours sense they're made of glass. Owls have the same problem hence all the creepy head bobbing and adjusting. Its probably less pronounced and more still though, sounds good on paper, animated it probably looks ridiculous.


	3. Chapter 3

With cold numbed limbs willow dragged herself up drearily, casting a foggy gaze around her surroundings. A dimly lite fire was what greeted her first, the biting cold threatening to snuff them both out. She pulled herself together and proceeded to stand, groggily peering around. The weak sun slowly bled into the sky, casting a pink hue over the frosted forest. With weak limbs she tugged her backpack on, opting to hold her thermal stone in her hands. Her dagger safely nestled in a pocket with a lighter that she always carried. 

Across the dimly lite fire WX was already awake, organizing his backpack of essential supplies. Of course he didn't feed the flames or wake her. With a huff she rolled up her sleeping bed and threw it into his lap, the startled automation letting out a sharp robotic beep. She giggled at that, he rarely displayed emotions but his surprise was evident in his rigid body and wide alert eyes. His expression quickly turned to that of annoyance, thick metal eyelids narrowing at her.

"You should've kept the fire burning, bed was too thin to keep warm." The words were delievered with a hint of harshness. The robot muttered something under His breath and began stuffing everything away. She felt a warm curl in her chest over upsetting the insufferable machine, snapped out of it as the robot strode over began to usher her away from the fire.

"WE MUST MAKE HASTE TO THE SWAMP. IT WILL NOT BE LONG BEFORE WE FREEZE TO DEATH. I WILL NOT STOP TO HELP YOU IF YOU FALL." His tone was harsh and she stuck her tongue out at him. Still she followed as he led the way to the swamp. She figured the faster they did this the faster they could get out, she didn't want to spend anymore time than she had to with the cruel automation. So she trampled the underbrush and tredded through the blindingly white forest along with her 'companion'.

After about an hour in she figured out the swamp was quite close, just to the right of where they settled camp. She was a bit irritated and almost asked why hadn't they camped closer, but something quickly caught her eye.

It looked like a muddy snake, bubbling and writhing around like it was trying to dislodged the mucky slush around it. The surrounding mud was frozen and jagged, yet persistantly this thing broke up the foul smelling sludge. She quickly grew a heavy sense of unease at whatever that thing could be, surpise and fear shot through her when she was roughly grabbed. A sharp glance as she pressed her arms against her attacker to fend them off only revealed it was WX. She wanted to get angry but he didn't have his usual smug aura, instead his body was rigid and his eyes were locked onto the bubbling mass. Slowly he maneuvered himself in front of her and stalked closer to it. 

She shuddered when it rose to its full height of two stories, body curling and snaking over the ground like a tapered eel before sharply whipping at the robot. He quickly jumped back and pressed an arm to willow as if she needed to be told to stay away. He quickly swiveled his head to the side, almost facing her as he quietly asked in his flat voice. "DO YOU WISH ME TO DISPATCH IT? IT SEEMS ROOTED IN PLACE." 

Willow thought for a moment, brows knitting together as she considered what they do. It was strange he asked for guidence but they had barely stepped into this place, maybe he didn't want to get cut to ribbons until they were on their way out. She shook her head in finality as she grabbed his arm and pulled him away, a quick glance to him was all she needed. She tried to stop to help him, a free hand pressing to his muddy fur vest. She hadn't thought it hit him, but with the mud caked on his chest in a diagnol splatter she could of sworn she saw a gaping crevice in his chest. 

"Hey wait, you're hurt lemme just see." She muttered and moved around him. His breathing was slightly laboured and his eyes were narrowed, with a few rappid clicks of his third eyelid swiping over his eyes he straitened up. He was much taller than her, probably by almost two feet, so while she could still touch his chest she couldn't see what she was doing. He then began to brush her hands away, but she grabbed handfuls of furry vest. "Hey relax! Look just let me see. It can't move so it won't bother us if we stay away." She reasoned.

With narrowed eyes he slowly weighed his options before slowly sliding down into a crouching position. Even though they were on the more frozen part of the swamp it still sucked onto their shoes and caked their feet in black frozen mud. Willow crouched in front of him, not quite as balanced as he was in this soggy terrain. She fumbled with his vest for a second before prying it open, taking a small cloth from a pocket in her skirt to begin swabbing the mud away. She tried to work quickly, a sudden wave of anxiety radiating off of her. She quickly peeked up to see WX just staring down at her, completely motionless and head tilted. She fought back a flinch and turned her head down to keep working.

After some cleaning and a cloth around his chest there wasn't much else she could do. Despite being a robot made of metal he could heal like the rest of them, so in a week or two the ripped metal on his chest would become a creamy metal scar. She guessed whatever made this land didn't want him to have an unfair disadvantage, how caring. The healing process could be hastened with things like honey and spider glands but they had none with them. Truging forward with hightened senses the pair quickly left the edges of the swamp and ventured into its heart.

It was mid day by the time the pair had stumbled upon a shambling village, the creaky buildings teetering on the edges of complete destruction. How the wet and crumbling wood didn't give at any moment baffled Willow, even the foundations were half swallowed into the frozen slush of mud. She eyed the soggy buildings and stepped onto the deck of one, hand skimming along the rail as she tredged up the stairs. The thin screen door creaked with a thin wail as it swayed opened and closed, the rattle as it hit the doorframe repeatedly fraying her nerves. Her mind raced with questions and fears, were their new survivors? Were they hostile or confuse them for trespassers? Were all these houses in this state due to everyone in the town dying?

Her state of mind was harshly snapped away by a broken board behind her, a shocked snap of her head and low and behold it was just WX again, with his foot inside a recently broken board. That damned automation was going to give her a fucking heart attack, she narrowed her eyes at the robot who had gotten his foot stuck into the first stair. After briskly freeing himself he stood and pressed up against willow from behind, startling her as his warm chassis pressed against her, the whole time his head swiveled behind him like a clockwork owl. The sweep of his third eyelids were audiable in their soft swiping clicks as he twitched and jerked his head in an avian fashion. One of his hands was on her shoulder and the other lingered near the opening of his vest, a familiar blue handle visible inside it. "THREATS UNDETECTED." He stated in a low flat voice.

Willow sighed in exasperation and grabbed his wrist , tugging him across the porch and past the screen door. The swamp was dangerous but she was tired goddamn it, a half sunken house was still a house even if it may belong to dead people. She figured if these sunken houses survived their own rotting demise than nothing would topple them yet, safer to be inside than out, and the wanning sun was scaring her. They had only found a few mangey reeds and they didn't know how much further in they needed to go. So with a conflicting reluctance she entered this crumbling home.

The inside was a bit spacious, and willow charged in headfirst. The two of them hastily combed over the area but soon enough they realized the place was truly abandoned. This fact heeded no comfort and she eyed where they could even sleep in this decrepit place. She remembered she was still holding WX's arm, and with an embaressed flush she tried to let go of him, but he caught her wrist in it's retreat. "HUMAN. NEXT TIME I WOULD ADVISE CAUTION. THIS HOME MAY BE EMPTY BUT THE OTHERS MAY NOT." He faced her now, the volume of his voice rising in his stern lecture. She huffed and batted his hand away, able to escape this time in her frustration. She didn't need to listen to him she was a grown woman. 

"I can take care of myself, and I was right about no one living here! Would you rather snuggle up to one of those..freaky snake things outside?! Suns setting right about now." She crossed her arms and turned away, hearing the automations footsteps roam the house.

"YOU ARE WRONG IN ALL BUT ONE OF THOSE INSTANCES. YOU CANNOT CARE FOR YOURSELF. IT IS WHY I AM HERE WITH YOU. SECOND I DO NOT WISH TO SLEEP WITH THE FLESHY SNAKE, I FIND YOU A MUCH BETTER CANDIDATE." She gaped at the robot in anger, damn him and how he knew how to get under her skin. Her train of thought and planned insults were cut off by his next words. "NEXT WE ARE NOT ALONE, I HAVE DETECTED ANIMAL CLAW MARKS AND ROTTING FISH REMAINS. AN ANIMAL LIVES HERE." 

Her face fell instantly, and she briskly made her way over to him. It was probably a kitchen at one point, only in shambles caked in mud and mold. A reed nest was in one corner, chewed into shape and spilling its fibers over a third of the kitchen floor. She felt uneasey at the sight, the nest belonged to a large beast. The bones and rotting fish heads littered the floor amongst squashed entrails, tiny colonies of various unedible fungus grew between herds of maggots. It was a grotesque sight in all and she had to fight the urge to vomit, her skin becoming clammy as her legs shook.

"We can baricade the doors." She whispered and retreated from the mess of a kitchen. She took note of the size of the tiny swamp house, it had a living room and a kitchen. It had to have at least one bedroom, she had seen another doorknob earlier. She went up to it before pausing, eyebrows furrowed in thought. She wanted to be sure this place was empty, but if something was inside she didn't want to let it out.

A sudden shadow above her had her screaming and bursting through the door in her fright, whipping around angrily to begin cursing out the robot for scaring her. She was right about one thing, the setting sun had cast a morbid darkness that seeped into the houses every crevice. The bedroom had no exposed windows, each one boarded up heavily. A thick layer of dust that lay over every shrowded object was stirred and disburse into the air. Bugs skittered into crooks and crannies to flee from the breech of light, hissing and clicking as they left. A sad skeleton gripped a much smaller one by the nearest window, embraced in their final moments.

WX was not behind her. But a lumbering figure was, the overpowering scent of sulfur and fish made her gag. She backed into the bedroom and her hip knocked into something solid causing her to fall back. Instead of her hands hitting the solid wood of a desk they plummeted into sheets that sucked her in, leaving a cascade of dust to fall on her. She sucked in wheezy breaths and coughed as the larger person entered, a throaty gurgle escaping them. With her now strewn across a bed, blind and choking she saw it crouch before pouncing upon her. 

She screamed a second time as powerful forearms crushed her petite frame, thick fingers with jagged claws attached tried to hook into her flesh but could only find the moth eaten sheets. If this thing didn't suffocate her then this stupid bed was going to, the only way was up and she kicked and pushed with all her might. This only seemed to enrage the humanoid monster, as it reared back and let out a watery roar. Its mouth open with the light glinting off its teeth revealed it had far too many, each a thin triangular shape. It was going to bite her with that foul mouth, she panicked then stopped. It had the flowering petals of gills emerging from the sides of its throats, and with adrenaline filled panic she clawed and scratched at them.

Its head whipped to the side and bite down on one of her offending arms, oily blood drippling from its injured neck. Her own blood flew from its mouth, her forearm trapped between its teeth. All she could do was scream and claw and kick, it happened so fast and had no idea how to fend this thing off.

In a sudden snap a spear was in her face. Which confused her because there was a giant scaled beast atop her now, already occupying the space in front of her face. With bleary eyes filled with tears she watched the spear twist and leave, a gaping hole filling with slick oily blood sloshing from it. The very dead beast released her arm in its final dying giggles, even whimpering before collapsing atop her. A familiar bronze face appearing as he leaned down and rolled the beast off of her. 

Slowly sitting up she sucked in harsh breaths, eyes flittering from the dead green scaled beast to the calm bronze robot. How had that thing snuck up on them? She slowly realized they hadn't locked the front door, but they had closed it. A quick look to the beasts paws showed it had functional hands, with jagged black talons attached. She tried to scoot off the bed but faltered, her wounded arm throbbing in pain and her shaken limbs refusing to work. 

She squeaked and tried to flail as she was picked up, but her exhausted limbs refused to coordinate properly. They grew a mind of their own and reasoned they were safe in the warm metallic arms of her savior. She frowned at that and whispered out, still shocked by the fast paced event. "Didn't you hear me scream?"

WX was walking back out of the bedroom, leaving another body to join the pair. Kicking the door closed he went to a mostly intact couch, the mold and wetness the least of their concerns. He sat her in his lap and took her arm before answering, whilst examining the damage. "I DID. I WAS EXAMINING THE FISH BEASTS NEST SO IT TOOK TIME TO REACH YOU. THIS COULD NOT BE FORESEEN HOWEVER, AS IT IS RARE TO ENCOUTER A BEAST WITH FUNCTIONAL HANDS. MUCHLESS ONE WITH THE KNOWLAGE TO OPERATE DOORS." 

Normally she would be embarrassed and angry with how she was being handled, but too much exhaustion was catching up with her. She was warm in this spot and couldn't stop the soft thunk of her head against the fur padded chassis. She felt something cold smeared over her wound before the softness of fabric touched it. Her eyes weighed down and she finally submitted to darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if willow isn't firey enough, I'll try to develop that more. This is the survivors first winter so they don't quite know what all they're dealing with in this world. Honestly that let's me crank out some nice descriptions, swamp is hella scary. Also not trying to make willow seem super helpless but from what ive seen in DST she is a weaker character who is very distrusted. Fire is one of the deadliest things in game so someone named 'the firestarter" isn't gonna be treated nice.
> 
> Rip to my willow mains out there who get instabanned from servers. <3


End file.
